Space Pioneer 2 - The Titan Plot - 7. Chapter 7

Lest entered the room. Ion was sitting on his bed, staring into the room, but immediately jumped to his feet at Lest’s sight. Lest stopped by the doorway. Ion was glaring at him.

“What’s this, captain?” he shouted. “You locked me up in this room. I understand it’s for security reasons. I’d be as suspicious as you are, mind you. But one meal a day? It’s intolerable. Remember, you get paid for this trip and you acknowledged the deal.”

“If that’s your only concern,” Lest replied, raising his plasma gun and inspecting it. “The day has just started. You’ll get another meal, Ion.”

Ion straightened. “Alright. Did you come for a small talk, captain?” he asked.

Lest didn’t reply. He looked around in the room.

“What about the others? Is Lady Tiana doing fine?” Ion asked.

“Chen you mean,” Lest said. “He’s enjoying himself, yes.”

Ion made a step towards the captain, clenching his fists. Lest raised his gun.

“Lower this gun. It makes me nervous,” Ion snapped, looking around as if in search of a weapon. “You’ve found out about Chen.” he said. “What will you do? Contact the Empire? It would be a fatal mistake, captain.”

Lest raised a hand in a calming gesture. “I’ve not yet made up my mind. It’s time we talk, Ion. I know you killed the Cleus crew and escaped in a shuttle.”

“It’s not what it seems,” Ion said. “The Cleus ship was on its way to the Empire and we had to prevent it. The plot was to seize the ship and hand it over upon arrival on the main planet. Unfortunately, the captain of the ship got wind of the plot and contacted the Empire.”

“Just what I said,” Lest said. “You readily confess your nefarious deed? It somewhat surprises me. Don’t you fear I’ll contact the Titan Empire like the Cleus captain did?”

“Why? You’d gain nothing from it,” Ion said. “Perez arranged the deal. You’re in the plot, too.”

Lest decided to play along. He inspected his plasma gun. Ion was watching him.

“True,” Lest said finally. “Perez arranged the deal. It pays off. It’s a big haul,” he said.

“Perez has eyes and ears everywhere, probably to the end of the universe,” Ion said. “When we contacted him on Cyrus, he had already gotten wind of our arrival. I wanted a ship, but he offered to arrange the trip to Rho 59. It would cost me nothing, he said, which was good as we were low on credits after the initial plan had failed.”

“Ah, yes, the rich vendee,” Lest said. “Perez didn’t mention his name. It’s a big deal, isn’t it? We happened to be on Alpha And when the Orean cargo ship came in with your shuttle mag-locked to it. We saw a lot of Alliance spacecrafts and a huge Titan ship, too. An Atkon gunship fled from it. It almost collided with my ship.”

Ion winced, but didn’t take up on the Atkon ship. He was staring at Lest.

“What happened to Tian Mu’s daughter?” Lest asked.

“I don’t know,” Ion replied. “She has been in a care home on Cleus. She has psychological problems, but this was kept secret in the Empire. She’s been away for years, but nobody knew. A Titan woman lives a reclusive life and even more so Tian Mu’s daughter. I have no idea what happened to her. I suspect a different team dealt with her. She’ll never get a permission to marry. Hence, Tian Mu’s line will end.”

“A dynasty change,” Lest said.

“A dynasty change that the conservative parties don’t want to come about,” Ion said. “What do you know of Titan politics?”

“Next to nothing,” Lest replied. “I run my own business. I operate in space.”

Ion smiled. “I started my own business in space, too, years ago, purchasing and selling off cargo, you know, before I turned to the more profitable line of the business. People trafficking.”

Lest thought of the amount of credits Perez had readily paid for smuggling four individuals. He wondered how much Perez would have paid if he had negotiated a bit on the price.

“Indeed, a very profitable line of business,” Lest replied. “Cargo transports are for beginners.” He passed his plasma gun from one hand to the other and held it casually.

“The latest Alliance plasma gun?” Ion asked with a nod at the gun.

“Yes, I bought it on Cyrus,” Lest said.

“And the Daglon warship? Where did you seize it? A warship is a priceless advantage in our line of business,” Ion said. His voice had a respectful undertone.

“I seized the opportunity as it arose,” Lest said with a brief smile. “The Daglon war put me in the position to seize the ship.”

“I see,” Ion replied. “We Titans don’t run from a war and we fight till the end. Our wars were honest and honorable in the past, but lately dirty wars became acceptable. Well, it always depends on what you’re fighting for and whose side you’re on. The Daglon war was a dishonorable war, a mere farce in the eyes of a Titan. You made a good choice when you seized the opportunity and the ship, captain. The Daglon war was thirteen years ago. I trust you had your ship overhauled and updated a couple of times.”

Lest didn’t reply. He changed the topic instead.

“You said Tian Mu’s line would end if he presented his daughter. His daughter won’t get the necessary health certificates for marriage. The closest male relative will succeed a childless leader, according to what I read,” Lest said. “I suppose this would be the proceedings in this case.”

Ion gave a nod, then crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“He didn’t want his relative to succeed him, right?” Lest asked.

“Correct,” Ion said. “His closest male relative alive is his cousin, a man with a tendency to wreck havoc.”

“The man won’t get a chance. Tian Mu has a daughter,” Lest said. “Future politics will depend on her husband, however. He’ll be the next leader of the Empire. Tian Mu would be wise to choose him himself. The daughter is the problem, but he found a way to solve it, right? He’ll present a healthy daughter. But why a disguised man?”

“Tian Mu doesn’t know of Chen. He’s expecting a Titan woman,” Ion said.

Lest nodded in understanding. “A plot in the plot,” he said. “Who devised the second one?”

“Quanac. He’ll marry the false daughter on Rho 59,” Ion said.

“Quanac?” Lest asked.

“Quanac,” Ion said.

Lest walked to the door.

“Captain, “ Ion said.

Lest turned back to him.

“Why are you so interested in the plot? Why don’t you just do the job Perez hired you for?” Ion asked.

“Well,” Lest said. “Perez said something that I can’t get out of my head. He repeated it several times. Lest, he said, you can always shoot your way out.”

“What do you mean?” Ion asked, but then stopped short and stared at Lest. “Rho 59? A trap? Is this what you think?” he asked.

“Like you said, Perez has eyes and ears everywhere. His words were a warning,” Lest said.

He focused on his neural implant and commanded Hulton to unlock the door. The door opened instantly.

“Two and a half days until arrival at Rho 59. I wish you a pleasant flight,” Lest said. “Things might change very soon.”

He left the room and the door closed behind him. Lest went back on the bridge.

“Who the hell is Quanac?” Jeff asked.

“The rich vendee, I guess. The man who bought the guns,” Lest said. “The Cleus ship was en route from Cleus to the Empire of Titania. The Titans planned to seize the Cleus ship upon arrival and hand it over to Quanac, but the Cleus crew found out about Chen and the captain contacted the Titan Empire. The Titans intervened, killed the Cleus crew and changed their plan. The original plan had failed.”

“They’ve changed the plan,” Corr said.

“Quanac changed his plan,” Lest said. “He gave up on the fake marriage and bought the latest weapons and guns on Cyrus. Jeff, research on Quanac. You might find something on the spacenet.”

“Why did Quanac buy plasma guns if he could have succeeded with a marriage?” Corr asked.

“The answer is a simple,” Hulton said. “He plans an armed intervention. Quanac arranged a trip to Rho 59 for Chen and the other Titans in order to get rid of them there. No need to chase them through space. They’ll come to him freely.”

“It’s a load of crap,” Lest said. “Hulton, Corr, complete the system check. Don’t forget about the defense systems.”

“Where’s Le’Ton?” Corr asked. “He could help us with the check.”

“He’s in sickbay,” Lest replied. “Doctor Midad is running a few tests on Chen.”

“Chen?” Corr asked. “Did the Titan come out to Midad?”

“Yes, he gave up on the masquerade but didn’t elaborate on the plot. I hope Le’Ton will make him talk,” Lest said.

“Hard to believe the Titan looks forward to a life in disguise,” Jeff said.

“Not the life I would prefer to live myself, but to each his own,” Lest said. He reached out and hit the intercom button. “Doctor Midad? How’s it going?” he asked.

“I’m finishing the analysis of the tests,” Midad replied.

“Is Chen still exercising?” Lest asked.

“They went to the gaming room,” Midad said.

“They went to the gaming you room?” Lest asked sharply.

“For treatment,” Midad answered quickly. “The computer detected a slight anomaly regarding various stress hormones. When Le’Ton brought up the gaming room, I thought it was a good idea to stop a possible beginning depression.”

“Fine,” Lest said curtly. “But you could have reported back to me, Midad.” He hit the button and closed the intercom line. “Hulton, how long until arrival at Rho 59?”

“Fifty hours, twenty-nine minutes, three seconds,” Hulton replied.

“Hell, why does it take so long?” Lest said, unnerved.

Chen and Le’Ton were sitting in the gaming room. Chen was enthusiastically shooting the pirate ships down. He won the fifth level at first attempt. Grinning, he leaned back in his chair.

“The game is fun,” he said. “Thanks for taking me here. I’m enjoying the game. I’m enjoying your company in the first place.”

Le’Ton smiled, but shifted uneasily in his chair.

“What’s wrong?” Chen asked. “Am I annoying you?”

Le’Ton shook his head. “No, no,” he said. “Chen, why did you give up on the masquerade?”

“It didn’t make sense to me anymore. Not after what happened on the Cleus ship,” Chen said.

Le’Ton studied Chen’s features, the almond shaped eyes and the smooth pale skin.

“You don’t have much facial hair,” he said.

Chen gave him a baffled look, then smirked. “Permanent epilation. It’s because of my profession. I’m an actor,” he said.

“Well, this explains why they picked you to play the daughter,” Le’Ton said.

“What do you mean?” Chen asked.

“You replaced Tiana, Tian Mu’s real daughter,” Le’Ton said.

Chen crossed his arms and leaned back.

Le’Ton changed the topic. “Tell me more of your profession,” he said.

Chen relaxed. “Do you know about Titan theatre?” he asked.

Le’Ton shook his head.

“It’s a mixture of martial arts and opera,” Chen said. “I’m engaged a lot in fake fights on the stage. That’s why I must exercise. I’m running, but I do different kinds of sports, too. I have a lot of singing to do as well, all while acting on the stage.”

“But why the long hair?” Le’Ton asked.

“I’m acting the roles of females on the stage. Titan women mustn’t perform on the stage. They are rarely seen in public at all. The Titans are a warrior species with a male-dominated culture. This is a problem in these days,” Chen explained. “Tian Mu is a conservative man, extremely conservative. He abolished several laws that his predecessors had installed. He wants to go back to the old days. It’s a conflict with all the technology and the developments in space. Cleus, for instance, decided against the Empire of Titania because of the developments in the Empire and joined the Alliance instead.”

“I’ve heard of it,” Le’Ton said.

“The Empire and Cleus had maintained good relations for centuries,” Chen said. “Cleus was practically a Titan outpost, albeit independent because of its status as a medical center. We Titans hold doctors in high regard because they can decide on life and death just like a warrior can take his enemy’s life or spare it. Hence, Cleus’ decision is considered betrayal, an affront, a scandal in the eyes of the conservative Titans. Many parties, however, have seen it coming. They approve of it as it causes a stir and foments trouble. The Titans are ready for a change.”

“And here’s where you come into play,” Le’Ton said.

Chen nodded. “It was actually Tian Mu’s idea. His daughter has been on Cleus for years. She has psychological problems, but no one knows, except of her family and Tian Mu’s counselors, of course,” he said. “Tian Mu chose a Titan woman who was supposed to take his daughter’s place and marry a loyal man that Tian Mu has chosen. Thus Tian Mu will remain in control.”

“This is just sick,” Le’Ton said. “You said he chose a woman. How did you come into play?”

“The plan was changed,” Chen said reluctantly.

Le’Ton was staring at Chen. “Tian Mu chose a man? He chose you and you actually comply with it? You really want to live a life as a woman, married to the next leader of the Titan Empire?” he asked in disbelief.

Chen gave a laugh. “No,” he said. “Tian Mu has no idea that the plan has changed. I won’t marry the man Tian Mu has chosen. I’m going to marry Quanac. He has devised the plan and he arranged it all. He’ll be the next leader of the Titan Empire. It’s a dynasty change.”

“Won’t Tian Mu foil the plot? Won’t he present his real daughter to the public and the council?” Le’Ton asked in confusion.

“I don’t think he can,” Chen said, turning his eyes away.

“You mean his daughter is dead. And the woman who was supposed to replace her is probably dead, too,” Le’Ton said, leaning back in his chair. “Did you approve of this conspiracy to murder?” he asked.

Chen’s face paled. “I don’t know what happened to them. We didn’t meet Tiana and her bodyguards. Their finger chip codes were sent to us . We reprogrammed ours. It was easy to pass the security controls. The Cleus can’t distinguish one Titan from the other.”

Le’Ton’s look was hard and cold. Chen looked aside. His lower lip was trembling.

“I made a big mistake,” he said. “I met Quanac back stage a few months ago. I was enamored. He beguiled me. It was all a masquerade, though.”

“I think you’re naive,” Le’Ton said. “Do you really think Quanac will let you go if the plan fails for whatever reason?”

The young Titan slumped in his chair. A tear was running down his cheek.

Le’Ton placed his hand on Chen’s. “It’s not too late. I’m going to speak with the captain. He won’t hand you over to Quanac. He wasn’t happy with the trip anyway,” he said.

Chen seized Le’Ton’s hand and squeezed it. “It feels good,” he whispered.

Le’Ton inhaled deeply.

Jeff and Lest were in the galley.

“What did you find out about Quanac?” Lest asked.

“Quanac is a member of the Titan council. The council consists of twelve men who are directly subordinated to the head of the Empire,” Jeff said.

“This explains a lot,” Lest said. “A counselor has inside information. Quanac is planning to stage a coup. That’s why he bought the plasma guns.”

“How does Chen fit in?” Jeff asked.

“He doesn’t fit in. Quanac has changed his plan,” Lest said. “How are chances that the fake marriage will work out in the end? I guess they’re low. The initial plan failed right in the beginning when the Cleus captain saw through their plot. If I were in Quanac’s place, I would rely on the guns and not on Ion’s amateur team and a poorly acting young man. The Horus is a warship. You can always shoot your way out. That’s what Perez said. His words make perfect sense to me now.”

“Quanac wants the cargo. We’re safe until discharge is complete,” Jeff said. “Will you hand the Titans over to him?”

Lest took a breath. “Quanac will kill them, but they killed the Cleus crew. Shall I spare their lives or leave them to their fate. I don’t know. I must think. I’m going to the engine room.”

“Is the engine room a good place for thought?” Jeff asked in a puzzled voice.

Lest didn’t reply. He left the galley. Jeff looked after him.